iPhone, Apps, and Real Estate

I admit that I am a tech junkie, and anything new by Apple is on my must-have-now list. You may think that these things have nothing in common with real estate. Not so. The iPhone is a perfect example. When I heard about this marvel of technology, I ran to AT&T to get on the list to get one. They told me I was nuts, and THEY had no idea what I was babbling about.

Skipping forward to the three billion apps that have now been downloaded… I find that anytime, anywhere I am, seminars, supermarkets, book stores, dentist or doctor office, I have the perfect opportunity to market myself and real estate. I look around, see who has an iPhone (always one, usually more) and ask “what’s your favorite app”? This provides me with a perfect opportunity to speak with someone I don’t know, about something we have in common. We exchange favorite apps, and we have a chance to discuss our approach to discovering the extent of possibilities of iPhone uses in our everyday life. At this point I give them a business card, get their information I always have new apps to add to my growing app collection. What a social network! You have real time face-to-face contact with someone, you never would have met. This is cold calling without the anxieties or door shut in your face.

I was recently at a seminar in Honolulu, it was a cross section of diversity, at the first break I noticed how many people had iPhones and decided to approach as many people as I could. I was introduced to Yelp. This gem of an app is so handy, you log your location, point in any direction and find restaurants, stores, banks, gas and talk to name a few things. It is great for traveling.

Two apps for finding local real estate for sale are; Blue Atlas and Smarter Agent, neither show all the Kauai listings but they are still handy. I use Searchable Area Codes (where am I calling) and Zip Codes Plus for references. RECalc is the easiest amortization calculator. I met an 81 year old women at the dentist who used any type of game to keep her mind sharp, her favorite, Sudoku. MobileMe, a necessity, just introduced its MobileMe Gallery App, sharing photos and movies you created and saved in our gallery, even without an internet connection. Do you have a favorite App?

Share it with me, dixie@hawaiilife.com.